False diffusion

Error in computational fluid dynamics

False diffusion is a type of error observed when the upwind scheme is used to approximate the convection term in convection–diffusion equations. The more accurate central difference scheme can be used for the convection term, but for grids with cell Peclet number more than 2, the central difference scheme is unstable and the simpler upwind scheme is often used. The resulting error from the upwind differencing scheme has a diffusion-like appearance in two- or three-dimensional co-ordinate systems and is referred as "false diffusion". False-diffusion errors in numerical solutions of convection-diffusion problems, in two- and three-dimensions, arise from the numerical approximations of the convection term in the conservation equations. Over the past 20 years many numerical techniques have been developed to solve convection-diffusion equations and none are problem-free, but false diffusion is one of the most serious problems and a major topic of controversy and confusion among numerical analysts.

This keyword could refer to multiple things. Here are some suggestions: